Fires in Central and Southern Africa

  • Credit

    Astronaut photograph ISS004-E-11958 was provided by the Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory at Johnson Space Center. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA-JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. </P><p>

Many fires were burning throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and Zambia through May and well into June 2002.

Fire scars and smoke plumes result from biomass burning in the savannas of southern Democratic Republic of Congo. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station observed the seasonal increase in savanna burning, which traditionally peaks in June in southern Democratic Republic of Congo. This image, taken on May 16, 2002, is centered near 8.6S, 27.4 E. These fires, likely the result of human activities, are thought to contribute significant emissions to the atmosphere (Cahoon, et al, 1992). The darker area in the foreground is a more heavily wooded hillside; most burning occurs in the grassier savannas which appear red-brown.

Additional Information
Seasonal distribution of African savannah fires, Cahoon, J.; Stocks, B.; Levine, J.; Cofer, W.; O?Neill, K. , 1992, Nature v.359, p. 812

Metadata

  • Sensor

    ISS/Digital Camera

  • Start Date

    2002-05-16

  • Event Start Date

    2002-05-09

  • NH Image ID

    4656

  • NH Event ID

    3621

  • NH Posting Date

    2002-07-30